[The Handover: A King's Offering]
The morning sun was just beginning to burn off the mist clinging to the village. Arthur was waiting by the fence. He held the Void Silk Shoe in his hands like a holy relic—or perhaps a bomb he was terrified of dropping.
I walked out, stretching my stiff back against the wooden post, observing the scene like a weary spectator at a bad play.
Elena emerged a moment later, holding a basket of chicken feed. She stopped when she saw Arthur, her gaze dropping to the... thing in his hands.
"Arthur?" she asked, squinting. "Is that the shoe from yesterday? Why is there dirt in it?"
Arthur puffed out his chest, trying to summon the courage of a thousand warriors to deliver the line he had practiced all night. "Morning," he said, his voice cracking immediately. "Yeah. I thought... why waste a good shoe? So, I made it useful. For you." He paused, then added the terrible lie: "Mom said plants grow better in purple things."
I slapped my forehead internally. (Strategy Expert... Your Charisma stat must be in the negatives.)
Elena smiled—a genuine, amused smile—and reached out to take the shoe. But as she brought it closer, her smile faded.
[The Accident]
"Oh..." Elena whispered.
I leaned in from my vantage point. The flower inside the shoe... it was dying. Arthur, with his immeasurable strength and zero delicacy, had packed the dirt too tight. The fragile stem was bent at a sick angle, snapped halfway. The petals were drooping, lifeless.
Arthur's face fell. The "Cool Hero" mask shattered instantly. "It... It was fine a minute ago! I must have squeezed too hard. I'll get another one! Wait here!"
He turned to run, panic written all over him.
"Wait," Elena said softly. She didn't throw the pot away. She didn't laugh. She looked at the dying flower with a gentle, sad expression.
"It's okay," she whispered to the plant. "It just hurts a little. I'll kiss it better."
It was a childish thing to do. Something a mother does for a toddler with a scraped knee. Elena leaned down and softly pressed her lips against the broken stem.
[System Alert: The Saintess]
To the naked eye—Arthur's eye—nothing happened. The flower remained broken. But in my vision, the world turned red.
DING!
[Abnormal Energy Fluctuation Detected!] [Type: Holy / Divine] [Source: Elena]
I blinked, straightening up. 'Holy energy? From a kiss?'
A new window popped up, hovering right next to Elena's face, framing her like a character card.
[Character Profile Unlocked] [Would you like to view the details?] [(Y)es / (N)o]
I stared at her. My little sister. The girl who steals my blankets and drools in her sleep. (Yes,) I commanded mentally.
DING!
[Name: Elena] [Role: The Saintess of Salvation (Unawakened)] [Current Power: G (Civilian)] [Potential: SSS (Gods' Chosen)] [Special Trait: Her tears can move the Heavens.]
My jaw dropped. 'Gods' Chosen? SSS Potential?'
I looked at Arthur (The Hero). Then at Elena (The Saintess). 'How? We've lived in the same house forever. We eat the same bread. How did I never notice I was living with literal monsters?'
Elena pulled back. "I'll put it in my room," she said, unaware that she had just defied the laws of nature. "Maybe the sunlight will help it recover." She ran back into her house.
[Dante's Status: The Trial Version]
I stood there, stunned. A sudden thought struck me. A surge of greedy excitement. 'Wait a minute... If everyone around me is a legendary figure... What about me?'
I looked down at my own hands. 'I'm the one with the System. I'm the one seeing the blue boxes. I must be the secret boss, right? The Archmage? The Shadow Monarch?'
"System," I whispered, my heart pounding. "Show me my profile. Show me what I've got."
The System didn't hesitate.
DING!
[Name: Dante] [Role: Guide (Anomaly)] [Current Power: G- (Weaker than Average Civilian)] [Mana: 0] [Holy Power: 0] [Aura: 0]
My smile twitched. 'Zero? G-minus? Are you kidding me?'
I scrolled down frantically. 'There has to be something. A hidden skill. Anything.' And there it was. A "Skills" section.
[Unique Skills:] 1. [Guide Book of Fate] (🔒 LOCKED)
(Condition: Insufficient Memory Synchronization) 2. [??? of ???] (⚠️ UNKNOWN)
(Condition: Authority Level Too Low)
I stared at the screen. "That's it?" I hissed. "One book I can't read and a bunch of question marks? What kind of rip-off is this?"
Then, I noticed something odd. "Wait a minute," I muttered. "System. Why does my profile show specific stats like Mana, Holy Power, and Aura? When I looked at Arthur and Elena, I only saw 'Rank' and 'Potential'. Why can't I see their numbers?"
The System didn't miss a beat. A new window slid open with a mechanical chime.
[Query Answered.] [Reason: Insufficient User Authority.] [Current Authority Level is determined by Memory Synchronization Rate.] [Current Available Memory: 0.1%] [Access Restriction: You are currently using the 'Trial/Demo' version of the System.]
I blinked. "Trial version?" I let out a dry laugh. "So, I'm trying to save the world with demo software? Unbelievable."
A roadmap appeared below it:
[Roadmap to Authority:]
Current (0.1%): Basic Identification.
Next (1%): Advanced Stat Vision unlocked. (You will be able to see the specific Mana, Aura, and Holy Power values of others.)
5%: Attribute Vision unlocked. (Luck, Charisma, etc.)
10%: Skill Slot Activation. (The Skill [??? of ???] will be revealed.)
'Fine,' I thought, clenching my fist. 'I just need to recover memories to unlock the full version. I'll grind for it.'
[The Delay: Family First]
A few minutes later, Elena came back out, grabbing her bag. "Okay! I'm ready! Are we going to the city to sell that button?"
I touched the pocket where the Mithril Button lay. It was heavy with promise. But then, my stomach let out a loud, embarrassing growl.
Arthur laughed. "Sounds like Dante needs fuel before adventure."
I looked at the sun. It was already high. Then I looked back at my house, where my mother was humming a tune. I looked at Arthur's house, where his father was already working on the fence.
A strange feeling washed over me. The nightmare from the morning still lingered in my mind. The fear of losing them tugged at my gut.
'The city isn't going anywhere,' I thought. 'The button won't rot. But this... this peace feels fragile.'
"You know what?" I said, stretching my arms. "Let's not go today. I'm starving. And Arthur, didn't your dad say he needed help with the fence?"
Arthur's face lit up. "Oh, right! He did! He's going to teach me the 'Perfect Strike' today!"
Elena giggled. "Okay, okay. City trip postponed. I'll go help Mom with the laundry then."
"Good," I said. "We go in a few days. Let's just... enjoy being rich in secret for a bit."
We parted ways, returning to our homes. We chose the warmth of the hearth over the cold road of commerce.
[The Beacon in the Window]
We didn't know it, but the timer had already started.
Inside Elena's empty room, the Void Silk Shoe sat on the windowsill. The flower inside trembled. The divine energy Elena had poured into it took hold. The stem snapped back into place. The petals turned a vibrant violet.
And then, it began to glow.
It wasn't a reflection of the sun. It was a soft, rhythmic, golden-white pulse. It shone through the glass. It shone out into the valley, invisible to most, but a blinding beacon to those sensitive to magic.
Far down the road, miles away, a Noble's carriage was traveling. Inside, a man with a keen sense for magic—and a greedy heart—looked up from his book. He felt a pulse in the air. A treasure calling to him.
"Driver," the Noble ordered, his eyes narrowing. "Mark this location. We have found something interesting."